CLARION — Sara Lettrich was familiar with the name of Brittni Grenninger before Tuesday night.

The Karns City star made sure the Shady Side Academy girls soccer coach won't soon forget it.

Grenninger received a second-half pass from teammate Allyson Kepple and scored the game's only goal as Karns City toppled the Indians 1-0 in a PIAA Class AA first-round playoff game at Clarion University's Memorial Stadium.

It was the Gremlins' first state playoff win in nine years and sends KC to a second-round game against Sewickley Academy Saturday at a site and time to be determined.

"We knew coming in that (Grenninger) got most of their scoring chances," said Lettrich. "But she just got a step on our defender and that was it."

Kepple made the play possible when she beat an Indians defender to the ball nearly 40 yards from the goal.

Kepple then kicked it to Grenninger, who took possession to the left of Shady Side's goal and avoided another defender before beating keeper Stephanie Woelfel.

The goal came with 31:34 remaining in the game after both defenses dominate in the first half.

"We didn't make any adjustments at halftime," said KC coach Joe Meshanko. "But we also didn't do a lot of subbing."

Meshanko's decision to keep his best players on the field as much as possible paid off, especially on defense.

"Defensively, we stayed organized and that was they key," he said.

Also crucial to the outcome was the play of goalkeeper Michelle Sweeney.

During a two-minute period of the first half, the sophomore made three saves, all of which could easily have been the go-ahead goal for Shady Side.

One save in particular, with just over 13 minutes left in the first half, saw an off-balance Sweeney reach out and swat a ball that was headed for the back of the net.

"That save was unbelievable," said Meshanko. "I can't believe she had the presence of mind to knock that ball out.

"We received phenomenal goalkeeping tonight," he added. "It kept us in the game."

Sweeney made 12 saves — six in each half — while Woelfel ended with seven stops.

"Just the way the game was being played, I thought at halftime that one goal might win it," said Lettrich.

The Indians kept the majority of the play in Karns City's end to begin the second half. Then came Grenninger's goal, the 194th of her career.

After gaining the advantage, the Gremlins (20-2) tightened their defense.

The Indians (13-8-1) had several corner kicks and indirect kicks in the final thirty minutes of play, but Sweeney and the defenders continued to deny Shady Side a tying goal.

"The scoring chances were there," said Lettrich.